Rex Ryan made his bid to become the Baltimore Ravens’ third head coach Sunday, interviewing for several hours with the team’s search committee.

The popular defensive coordinator was the fourth candidate to meet with the Ravens, after Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell, Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano and Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Ryan, 45, and the rest of the coaching staff were fired last week along with coach Brian Billick by team owner Steve Bisciotti following a 5-11 season. The son of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan, he coached the Ravens’ defense to rankings of fifth, first and sixth over the past three seasons.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are expected to meet with other candidates this week during the second phase of their search, including New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

CHARGERS

Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates was taken off the field on a cart after injuring a left toe late in the second quarter of the playoff game against Tennessee.

Gates slipped after catching a short pass from Philip Rivers and was hit by tackle Tony Brown and linebacker David Thornton.

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